Congress has a duty to defend the Constitution of the United States and to uphold the principles for which it stands.

If you keep deploying ships more than 7 months a year, you're not going to keep good people in the Navy.

One of the reasons why you are having to impose these burdens and the extended deployments and the lack of readiness is because of sequestration.

We also have a duty to eliminate all forms of modern-day slavery and human trafficking.

I assure you that this committee will do everything we can to support the Navy leadership's efforts to course correct, but we must also call you to task and demand answers.

I think the men and women who are serving in the Navy would like to see some immediate action taken.

Politics prevailed here.

The lives of the 17 sailors lost in the Fitzgerald and McCain collisions were priceless, and I mourn their loss.

My commitment to all of you is that we will get to the bottom of these incidents.

The USS John S. McCain was named after my father and grandfather.

I have to point out, there was an effort, by an amendment by Senator Cotton, to try to rectify this sequestration issue to some degree. I will not name individuals, but it was blocked from even being considered for a vote. That, to me…